If you lose power, phone lines are busy, and you or your neighbor needs help - what is your plan?

ACS working late into the night
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

By Marc Weinberg

Wind storm! Snow storm! Ice storm! Power failure! No lights! No cell service! No Internet!

If you lose power, phone lines are busy, and you or your neighbor needs help, what is the plan?

There's an average of 117 'Natural Hazard' events a year in Washington and in most emergencies cellphone towers become flooded with communications and calls go unanswered or busy. 

What happens then?

Shoreline / Lake Forest Park is surrounded by three radio amateur emergency communications groups:

• Snohomish County [Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS)]
• North Shore Emergency Management Collation (NEMCO)
• Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service

And Shoreline has had such a group for nearly 30 years, originally organized to support the Shoreline Fire Department. 

Shoreline ACS volunteers erecting a beam antenna 2009
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

Today, the Shoreline Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS), a volunteer community asset, supports the City of Shoreline, Shoreline Fire, and Shoreline Police, by staffing and operating the communications center in the City’s Emergency Operations Center. 

In addition to emergency community communications support, the Shoreline ACS also supports many community events (e.g. Celebrate Shoreline, North City Jazz Festival), and has regular meetings for training and discussing emerging radio tech.

Shoreline ACS volunteers at the 2019 Jazz Walk
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

 
Shoreline also has 300+ licensed amateur radio operators, Hams. 

That’s right. Hams aren’t just for Easter anymore. Your neighborhood Hams can have direct access to the Shoreline ACS during times of emergency. 

We would like to know you are out there, so please join in on one of our amateur radio nets every Monday evening, 7:30pm at 442.825, 103.5. Visitors are always welcome. All licensed Hams are encouraged to visit the NET, test your equipment, and be better prepared.

For those of you considering becoming a Ham, have questions about licensing and getting on the air, or questions about how the Shoreline ACS can support your organization or for general information, please contact: Shorelineacs@gmail.com

As members of ACS we are here to assist by keeping our neighbors and the Shoreline community connected. If you want to “Just be there” for your community, when the community needs you most, we can help by showing you the way!

Marc, K9PET